When the Baltimore Ravens line up against the New England Patriots Sunday night, the Ravens will be looking for revenge. The Patriots ended the Ravens season in the AFC Championship but the Ravens had many chances to win the game. Joe Flacco outplayed Brady and the defense bailed him out of the rare mistakes and reads he did not make.

Although the Ravens will be looking for revenge, this game does not hold any real significance come Monday morning. Sure, both of these teams are considered Super Bowl contenders but the season is still young. This game does however, have the potential to determine the playoff standings come the end of the regular season.

Throughout the first two weeks of the 2012 season, the Ravens and Patriots have not lived up to expectations. Both had a disappointing week two loss and have not been particularly good in their areas of usual strength. The Patriots added new weapons in the offseason such as Brandon Lloyd. Although Brady has new pieces to work with, the offense has showcased the explosive potential they are capable of. The Ravens on the other hand have struggled defensively. The defense gave up 371 passing yards to Michael Vick and struggled defending the Bengals rushing attack in week one.

Many are picking the Ravens to win this game, and I hope they are right but I dont see the Ravens winning this game. Tom Brady doesn’t lose back to back games and the Patriots have improved defensively. The loss of Aaron Hernandez will prove to be significant though. Hernandez can play every skill position on offense and with his absence, the Patriots and Tom Brady are going to have to be more creative. I expect the Patriots to spread the Ravens out and force the Ravens to play in space.

If the Ravens want to win this game, they will have to stop Rob Gronkowski. They have the cornerback depth to deal with the Patriots receivers but their linebacking core is a different story. Many of the Ravens outside linebackers are young and inexperienced. Paul Kruger and Albert McClellan will have to play well in run and pass defense.

Although the Ravens outside linebackers are young, I think Courtney UpShaw has a chance to have a breakout game. He wont play as much seeing as Paul Kruger is healthy but he has a chance to make a big impact on this game. The Patriots will be so focused on stopping Haloti Ngata that Upshaw, when playing on third downs, will not be facing many double teams. Look for UpShaw to have a good game.

Last time the Patriots played in Baltimore, they were undefeated but the Ravens almost pulled off the upset of the century. All of the recent games between the Patriots and Ravens have been very close and this game will be no different. In my opinion, the Patriots will win this game by a field goal but I really hope I am wrong. Having Arthur and Chandler Jones playing for opposing teams will make this game much more interesting.

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The Ravens not only get an opportunity to atone for last week’s final five minutes of embarrassment in Philadelphia, but they can re-establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the AFC this Sunday night when the Patriots come strolling in for a national TV affair with John Harbaugh’s team.

The Ravens need a win. I guess it would be better if the Browns were Sunday’s opponent, but that’s not the way the schedule makers saw week #3 playing out. So here come the Patriots, armed with wonder-boy at quarterback, a beefed up pass-catching corps and, apparently, an improved defense.

The Ravens, as you know, are seeking to rebound from a horrible loss to the Eagles, where the defense caved in with under five minutes remaining and the offense couldn’t go fifty yards with two time-outs in their pocket in the game’s last 120 seconds.

It should be a helluva game.

And, as is always the case when the Ravens face a top opponent in Baltimore on national TV, Ray Lewis and the gang will be fired-freakin’-up.

I know you’re waiting – impatiently, by now – to see two things: 1) My pick for the game 2) Bill’s comment and attempted personal destruction of me and my character in the “comments section” below.

I’ll give you #1 right now. I’m sure you’ll see #2 shortly.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Ravens aren’t winning Sunday night.

Everything sort-of points to Baltimore winning, actually. They’re playing at home, where they haven’t lost since December of 2010, twelve games ago. In other words, no matter who comes to town, the Ravens don’t lose at M&T Bank Stadium. It would also make sense to assume the Ravens’ offense can’t sputter and spit like a ’73 Vega on Sunday night. After all, they had a week to get a tune-up after last Sunday’s sub-par second half. By now, Cam, Joe and the rest of the offense have it all figured out, right?

Yes, it makes sense to figure the Ravens are going to win. As I noted above, they’ll be fired up beyond belief. But “fired up” doesn’t really matter once the third quarter rolls around. If Tiger Woods showed up to play me one-on-one at Mountain Branch, I’d be fired up for that. I might make a birdie or two out of the gate. But when the dust settled and we were shaking hands on the 18th green, he’d have a 63 on his scorecard and I’d have my tail between my legs.

Remember this before I tell you what’s going to happen on Sunday: NO ONE, including you, knows what will transpire on Sunday night. If you knew what was going to happen on Sunday night, you’d bet $100,000 on it and be a rich man. So would I.

But I *think* the Ravens are losing on Sunday night for one simple reason — the Baltimore defense isn’t all that good and the great #12 and his merry cast of characters will expose that fact on Sunday.

Without the ability to chase the quarterback around, the Ravens can’t beat the Patriots. In two games thus far, Baltimore’s pass rush has been relatively non-existent. In pass coverage, the purple linebacking group can’t do squat. And as long as Brady doesn’t do something dumb like try and pick on Lardarius Webb, he should have a field day exposing the dynamic duo of Cary Williams and Jimmy Smith on “the other side”. I think New England will run the ball 24 times just to say they did it. But they’ll throw it 40 times because they can.

I’m going to assume the Baltimore offense will bounce back on Sunday and have a decent night against the Patriots. I know the final two minutes was ugly last week in Philly, but that was then, this is now. At home, Joe Flacco and Company will bounce back.

But the Ravens defense won’t be able to handle New England’s offense for 60 minutes.

Ed Reed put on a pair of wildy oversized headphones, threw his bag over his shoulder and started singing a song about Jesus as he exited the Ravens locker room out of small back door that concealed the fact he was leaving without addressing the media.

Lee Evans sat at his locker, uniform still on, staring straight ahead, saying nothing. It struck me for a moment that perhaps a player or two might literally have to undress him and force him into the shower so the plane could eventually leave the airport in Boston.

Joe Flacco dressed quietly, but his face didn’t show any obvious signs of distress. He’s always Captain Cool, even in the midst of the second excruciating AFC championship of his young career.

And Sam Koch held court with a few members of the media, repeating time after time, “everything was fine…right up until the ball was kicked…then I don’t know what happened.” His voice trailed off as he realized how close the Ravens had come to forcing overtime with the now-famous 32 yard “chip shot” that Billy Cundiff pulled wide left in the waning seconds of last January’s 23-20 loss to New England.

I remember Matt Birk saying to me, “I feel sorry for these guys. They busted their ass all year. And today. We took it down to the last second. It just wasn’t meant to be.” I loved that Birk said “I feel sorry for these guys” as if he was watching over them.

But the thing I remember most about the aftermath of that loss?

Billy Cundiff.

Unlike Reed, who snuck out, Cundiff busted through the doors of the interview room and said – in so many words – “here I am”.

Cundiff then addressed the media for upwards of 20 minutes, answering every question with dignity and grace in the heat of what certainly was his toughest moment as a professional athlete.

As I look ahead to the Super Bowl with far less excitement than I had at this time last week, I’ll begrudgingly admit that while not as interesting as the Ravens projected to be the Patriots and Giants match up in the big game is an interesting one and worth looking forward to. It is after all a chance to revisit the defining match up of the most important season in recent NFL history (in my opinion) with plenty of other storylines to be gathered along the way.

With some of those storylines in mind I present my ideal octet for Super Bowl companionship, or the 8 people I’d most like to have in a room for this year’s Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning

I’d like to see Manning’s emotions up close as his brother goes for a second ring (or one more than Peyton has) against the rival against whom Peyton will most often be measured in Tom Brady. I wonder if there’s just a little hater in him.

Rex Ryan

Call this pick the hater in me, as I’d love to sit next to Rex (with my shoes on of course) as he watches the two proverbial bears that he poked this season compete for the trophy he once again guaranteed to deliver himself. Rex may have been right in promising New York a Super Bowl this season, but he can’t be happy about it.

Tiki Barber

Speaking of haters, why not bring Eli Manning’s biggest basher to the celebration? We’ll be serving plenty of humble pie at my fictional gathering it seems.

This time it was the Ravens on the short end. The Ravens earned a “loss” and were back in Owings Mills packing up for the winter. The New England Patriots earned a “win” and are headed to Indianapolis Irsay Land. Did both teams really earn their loss or the win? Did the Ravens take some lessons from the Texans and just felt it is better to give than receive? The New England Whiners were given a gift. The Ravens played better than anticipated. The Ravens played their best game since the 49’er game during Thanksgiving. The road to Indy was there for the taking. The story line written – Baltimore wins Super Bowl in Indianapolis, Ray-Ray and Ed were going out in glory. Then in the matter of 10 seconds – Yank – wide left, game over, Ravens lose.

Ray Lewis after the game – “One play doesn’t win or lose you the game.” Hey Ray-Ray, guess what? One play DID lose the game. I understand the premise he was trying to convey. We understand and saw what happened in the 59 minutes and 40 seconds prior to The Yank. We also saw the drive, the drop, the missed field goal, the season ending – one play. To much talk on the Lee Evans – one play – dropped/batted ball, missed chance. I’m not buying it. I try to minimize the words should, could and would in my vocabulary. Does he get paid to catch a ball? You’re darn right. Did he try?You’re darn right. Was the play well defended. You’re darn right. Bottom line, missed field goal, season over.

Enough, let’s look to the future. Retiring – Matt Birk (center – ouch), Ed Reed (DB on field caoch – HOF – ouch). Ray Lewis (well according to Ray-Ray 2 hours after the game – he’s not). Contracts expired – Camera Cameron (I’ll buy the one way ticket OUT), Ray Jr., Jarrett Johnson, Jameel McClain, Ben Grubbs (git ‘er done), Flacco (1 year left – git ‘er done – contract extension). And please Ozzie/Bisciotti – NO five year, 15 million dollar place kicker contract! Oh, you already made that rocknut move. What kind of cigars were you smokin’, when you made that decision? Yes, Raven fans, the guy who squashed the opportunity to go to Iindianapolis and win a Super Bowl, was signed to a 5 year deal in January of 2011. At 3 mil/year which is about $150,000/game. Does that make you feel better? Doesn’t that just make you feel sorry for poor Billy Bob? Prior to 2010 season, Billy Bob Yanker was a journeyman. One good year, cash in to “highest” bidder and boom you’re set. Five year contract to a journeyman kicker? More evidence of what is wrong with professional sports.

I think the Ravens should retire the #7 , because there hasn’t been any luck with jersey No. 7 in this Baltimore town. Remember Chris Redman and Kyle Booler? Am I missing any other Ravens #7? All that talent on the field, all that talent actually playing together as a unit, all that talent surviving teh Cameron and Horribaugh era. Then a missed field goal. Kinda like screwin’ up your country’s National Anthem. It’s just not right. Nice move Steven Tyler – make “American ” Idol proud. Serves you right for wearing the New England Whiners cloth.

Sundays playoff game was painful. If you are surfing on the web, do not, I repeat do not, watch that last drive and end result, again. You may need some “Emotional Rescue” – (Rolling Stones). I did watch it again, I’m surprised the computer survived. So, last year (2010) we got to savor the Pittsburgh loss, 31-24. In(2009) it was the Indy Irsays, 20-3. In (2008) Pittsburgh loss again, 23-14. In (2006) Indy Irsays loss again, 15-6. Kinda sick of the pattern, aren’t you? At least the Ravens are in the playoffs. Nah, not buying that. Players like Ray Lewis come around once in a blue moon, especially landing in Baltimore. Hey Ravens front office , ya done blown it. This 2011 team and the 2006 campaign – had the most talent since the Super Bowl team of 2000. The table was set, no meal delivered.

They say that hindsight is 20/20, and usually that seems to be true; when it comes to NFL football however that may not be entirely the case. I was surprised for example at the level of clarity and evenness of callers today on the MobTown Sports Beat in the immediate aftermath of the Ravens stunning disappointment, in many cases from the very same callers at times beside themselves even after Ravens wins this season. That said I was even more surprised over the degree to which Joe Flacco was celebrated for a statistical win over Tom Brady albeit in a team loss. Those who saw yesterday’s performance as a surprise or an anomaly in the Joe Flacco experience clearly haven’t been paying close enough attention along the way. Flacco didn’t do anything on Sunday that he hadn’t shown himself capable of before, and therefore shouldn’t have done much to change anyone’s perception of him one way or the other in a single performance against a less than mediocre defense.

Hindsight though is funny that way.

In addressing the other inconvenient truth (that the Super Bowl is still being played regardless of the Ravens’ inclusion or lack thereof) and perhaps in still trying to get over whatever Patriots hate had pervaded my system in the lead up to the AFC title game, I opined with several guests that if Tom Brady should come up short in getting his 4th ring this time, his career might begin to be seen as a reverse Elway of sorts. They weren’t seeing the connection, but hear me out.

John Elway after all went to 3 Super Bowls as a bona fide superstar, yet still got reluctant recognition as one of the all-time greats because of his inability to win one of them. As his career was winding to a close Elway, a shell of his former self, managed the Broncos to two more Super Bowls and victories therein riding the crest of a prolific running game and a stout defense. Having claimed those two titles Elway rode off into the sunset, legacy cemented as one of the all-time greats…period.

Brady on the other hand, took the Patriots to the Super Bowl and won it in 3 of his first 4 campaigns while playing to the strengths of a capable running game and stingy defense. Throughout his three Super Bowl runs the Patriots balance was close to 60%/40% passing to running production. Also throughout that run the defense was top notch. Brady’s numbers were consistent along the way holding steady around 3600 yards per season with about 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Meanwhile the Patriots were in the middle of the league in passing and total offense.

In Brady’s first Super Bowl campaign, he went a collective 60 for 97 for 572 yards 1 TD and 1 int. and added a rushing TD. Drew Bledsoe threw for as many TDs as Brady in about one half of the Steelers game that post-season. All of the Patriots dramatic drives and victories were sealed by field goals not touchdowns and the only second half TD the Patriots scored in three playoff contests came courtesy of a blocked field goal attempt.

The second run was more of the same with no 2nd half Patriots TDs in the two games leading to the Super Bowl, and the Super Bowl itself, a coming out party of sorts for Brady with 354 yards and 3 TD in his first multi-touchdown playoff game was again won on a late field goal.

In 2004, the Patriots passing offense went over 4000 yards under Brady for the first time, and the unlikely superstar was born. Prior to Brady’s assault on the record books, beginning in 2004 peaking in 2007 and seemingly reborn once again, he was the undeniable catalyst in the reversal of Patriots’ fortunes and therefore as deserving of accolades as much as any of the Pats’ lunch pail brigade. After 2004 and with all of the passing marks and awards that have followed Brady has morphed into the unquestionable superstar, but since doing so has failed to get back to the pinnacle that the lunch pail version of Brady and the Patriots once seemed to enjoy as their birthright. Somehow though, as with the legacy of Elway both before and after his Super Bowl wins, we’ve now meshed the two separate experiences into a single collective point of view on each player’s career arc.

Maybe the league has changed since then, but before we simply accept that, let’s also acknowledge that we’ve been anointing the NFL as “now a passing league” for the better part of a decade and thus far the results are mixed. You could offer up the 2006 Colts, the 2009 Saints and 2010 Packers as examples that it’s happening, but to do so is also to fail to acknowledge the stout defense the Colts began playing in those 2006 playoffs or their efforts on the ground as driving most of that playoff push. It would also fail to acknowledge the inexplicable nature of the 2009 Saints to stop passing games in the red zone or their propensity to create turnovers and it’s also a convenient omission of the fact that on credentials alone the Packers defense outperformed their offense last season.

Maybe this time Belichick and Brady are so far ahead of the curve that it still hasn’t fully materialized yet. Maybe they’ll trounce the much more balanced looking Giants in a couple of weeks and continue to perpetuate the notion that wide open passing is the way to go in today’s NFL. For now though we must acknowledge that Brady like Elway is undefeated in Super Bowls as a game manager and winless as a superstar on whom his team is counting to win games instead of simply losing them, with another trial balloon set to be floated in a couple of weeks.

If anyone knows how to stop a high-powered offense in the New England Patriots, you’re going to have to go right to an insightful source to find that answer.

Unfortunately for a tight-knit organization led by Bill Belichick-the master of secrets, there aren’t a lot of those guys who have that kind of information to hand out.

But WNST’s own Thyrl Nelson caught up with a guy who used to line up in the backfield behind the Patriots future Hall-of-Famer in quarterback Tom Brady in running back Laurence Maroney on Thursday.

Maroney, who was a first-round pick of the Patriots in 2006 out of Minnesota, is currently a free agent and is anxiously trying to work his way back onto an NFL team for next year.

Having been a part of Patriot-style offenses in New England and Denver run by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, he knows the team very well.

Nelson asked Maroney how the Ravens should handle the Patriots if he was a consultant, and Maroney had a quick answer.

You have go get Tom Brady out of rhythm by bringing the pressure on the blitz.

“The first thing to do is really blitz and keep Brady uncomfortable,” Maroney told Nelson. “He’s going to sit there and read defenses and get comfortable. He can pick you apart once the momentum’s going and the lineman get going.”

Maroney said it was his role as Patriots back to be the final nail in the coffin for opposing defenses.

“That’s what starts the running game and it just starts to trickle down.”

But at the same time though, Maroney told Raven nation to understand this. John Harbaugh and Chuck Pagano may have the greatest defensive game-plan available to them, but Tom Brady is going to make some plays just because of his game smarts and preparation.

“Brady is one of the smartest…if not the smartest quarterback that I’ve played with,” Maroney said. “He’s just going to sit there if you give him time with the type of receivers and tight ends he has. They’re going to find a way to get open. And he’s going to find a way to get them the ball.”

Obviously as a running back, Maroney pushed across the idea of pacing the game for the Ravens by handing the ball off to Ray Rice in the second half should the Ravens jump ahead.

“Ray Rice is definitely a great running back,” Maroney said, “that’s definitely a proven guy in this league. It’s going to be difficult-especially the wild card game that I was last with them-and he definitely showed when he broke the game out when he ran for 80 yards that he’s a game-changer. If you don’t control that guy, he’s definitely going to do his thing.”

If the Ravens are on their game, Maroney says-you can’t ever count them out.

“You can never overlook the Ravens cause you can tell the history,” Maroney said. “This is a team you can’t count out, especially with their defense. They have one of the best defenses that you can’t overlook them and you have to be ready and prepared for that game.”

And who knows-with Ray Rice scheduled to be a free agent and the uncertainty regarding the future career of backup running back Ricky Williams, could the Ravens maybe be interested in the seldom-used, 26-year first-round pick?

He’ll welcome any opportunity to prove himself yet again to an NFL team.

“I just want a job,” Maroney said. “I just want to get back in the league.”

“I’m only 26 years old. I’m still young-this would have only been my sixth-year in the league. I’ve got the fresh legs. I still have a lot to offer to the league.”

Former Ravens and Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas has been out of football for two seasons now and while nestling himself in his home state of Mississippi, he has taken the transition out of the game very well.

But with a huge game this weekend between the only teams he knew in his NFL career for the AFC Championship and the chance to head to Indianapolis for Super Bowl 46 for Baltimore and New England, he said he wouldn’t mind getting a call and the chance to suit up Sunday.

Thomas joined Glenn Clark on “The Reality Check” Thursday-as he jokingly said that if the Ravens need a versatile linebacker to cover Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski or someone to put the heat on Tom Brady, his phone is on.

“I think first thing…they should call me and let me play this game to guard Gronkowski,” Thomas laughed.

Thomas, a sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2000, enjoyed his career in Baltimore right from the start.

Despite not playing much in his first three seasons, Thomas earned a championship ring as a member of the Super Bowl XXV team.

It was then and there that he got to learn from one of the best defensive players in the history of the NFL in Ray Lewis, and he sees a similar work ethic out of #52 in this year’s potential Super Bowl run.

“Baltimore has always had a good defense,” Thomas said. “Ray Lewis has always been the head of the defense with the intensity he brings to the game.”

And given the position Thomas is in being out of the game, he hopes that his former teammate gets one more game to show fans what he can do on the football field while hopefully adding another championship ring to his finger.

“I can’t speak personally for Ray, but the postseason is win or go home,” Thomas told Clark. “To know that you never know if you’ll get back to this place, to have this opportunity-you want to give it everything you have.”

Thomas said he was like a sponge from 2000-2006 when it came to his interaction and time with Lewis, and he flourished because of it.

Seeing full-time playing time on defense in 2003, Thomas became quite the weapon for defensive coordinators Mike Nolan and Rex Ryan. During that four year stretch until his final season in Baltimore, Thomas made plays all over the field recording 282 tackles and 32 sacks.

In 2005, he led the NFL in scoring non-offensive touchdowns.

That high level of play paid off for Thomas when he hit free agency after the 2006 season, as the defensive-minded coach in Bill Belichick basically handed AD a blank check to come to New England after two Pro-Bowl seasons in Baltimore.

Much like his first season as Raven, Thomas found himself on a Super Bowl team with the Patriots in 2007, reaching Super Bowl XLII after going 16-0 in the regular season with Tom Brady in the driver’s seat of a record-setting offense.

He recorded two sacks of Giants quarterback Eli Manning in that game, but unfortunately the story didn’t end on a good note for Thomas and the Patriots as the Giants spoiled the perfect season with a 17-14 victory.

He sees a lot of similarities between that team and the 2012 Patriots, and said the Ravens are going to need to bring 100% effort to topple the AFC’s top-seed.

“I think they’re still explosive,” Thomas noted. “You still have Tom Brady at quarterback and a number of receivers that can beat you.”

The biggest asset the Patriots have going for them is the amount of weapons they have at their disposal.

“The one thing that’s always unique about the Patriots is you never know how they’re going to attack you,” Thomas said. “Every week, they break down their opponent and they change their game plan to the best situation that would attack the defense.”

Ultimately though, Thomas rounded out the conversation by saying he’s rooting for his first love, the Baltimore Ravens.

Thomas had an ugly divorce with Belichick and the Patriots, and he loved the city of Baltimore. It’s an easy decision for him on his rooting interest on Sunday.

“I want Baltimore to win because I love the fans there,” Thomas said. “The fans have always been great to me even when I come back there. I still own a house in the area. I hope Baltimore pulls it out.”

Over the course of the last 4 days or so, it seems that we’ve beaten up and dissected every match-up, angle and storyline that could decide Sunday’s outcome between the Ravens and Patriots. To some degree though, the game has already been won or lost, in the draft rooms of the respective wizards at the helms of these two clubs New England Head Coach Bill Belichick and Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome.

Their draft histories are both highly respected and incestuously intertwined. It was, after all, the Ravens (then Browns) front office that cut Belichick loose from his first head coaching post, and Belichick’s first round pick in 2003 that the Ravens acquired to get Kyle Boller. In return the Patriots got a pair of picks from Baltimore, one of which they used to select defensive stalwart Vincent Wilfork and the other which in a roundabout way led them to the pick that they used to acquire Asante Samuel. Add to that the Ravens decision to let go of Adalius Thomas before the 2007 season and Patriots subsequent acquisition of the linebacker and Ozzie and the Ravens had to be feeling as responsible as any party in football for the Patriots run at near perfection in the 2007 season.

Sunday’s match-up, no matter the outcome will absolutely serve as an early referendum on the 2010 drafts of both of these teams.

Despite their well-deserved draft prowess, both Ozzie and Belichick have plenty of picks and possibly entire drafts that they’d rather have back. In the Ravens case 2010 might be that draft.

In 2010 the Ravens traded out of their first round pick (25th overall) to the Broncos and current Patriots offensive coordinator in waiting Josh McDaniels who used the selection on Tim Tebow, the Patriots playoff opponent from last week. In return the Ravens got picks in the second round (43rd overall), third round (70th overall) and fourth round (114th overall) from Denver.

Patriots all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski was selected by New England 42nd overall, just one pick ahead of Baltimore who spent their 43rd pick on Sergio Kindle, a first round talent with the dreaded question marks that tend to scare NFL teams away and one who has failed to pay any dividends for the team in the two seasons since his acquisition.

With the 70th pick, the Ravens took their own tight end Ed Dickson, a full 25 picks before Jimmy Graham went off the board to the Saints at #95. The Ravens also traded out of their own second round pick at 88th overall, still 7 spots ahead of the Graham selection and 5 spots ahead of the Chiefs selection of Tony Moeaki.

A little bulletin board material never hurts when trying to elicit every modicum of motivation out of a team in any sport. When the opponent at hand however is the New England Patriots, bulletin board material is usually tough to come by. The Patriots have done their best Lou Holtz imitation all week in preparation for the Ravens, and will likely continue to do more of the same. Why, after all, would the Patriots need to sing their own praises or to trash the Ravens’ achievements when the media and fans seem to be doing plenty enough of that for everyone?

As opponents have provided little fuel for the Ravens proverbial fire in terms of trash talking, the Ravens themselves have seemingly taken a creative means to finding their other external motivations or even creating them internally.

Last week Joe Flacco successfully predicted that the Ravens would win their game and he’d fail to get any credit for the win, to that end he’s ‘invited the conversation that has followed. More importantly however, Flacco acknowledged (albeit indirectly) that he hears the criticism, and his willingness to bring it up further suggests that it bothers/motivates him.

If the Patriots aren’t going to push that button, maybe it’s good that Ed Reed did. His comments were succinct and respectful when taken in context, borne in truth and from a desire to win, and along the way to indicting the quarterback Reed offered up several other scapegoats and/or excuses as possible factors in what he assessed.

That Terrell Suggs clearly and passionately countered Reed’s assessment with a full and unwavering vote of confidence in Flacco wasn’t nearly as bantered about by the media, but surely isn’t lost on the quarterback either.

And speaking of factors not lost, surely Reed is aware that while pointing a finger at Flacco and the offense, there are 3 more fingers pointed back at him (as the saying goes). Reed acknowledged as much by prefacing his comments with a concession that he didn’t play well either on Sunday. Reed capitalized once again on his flair for the dramatic and locked up the sealing and highlight inducing interception against Houston, but might have left 2 more interceptions on the field. And while his reemergence in the stat column is refreshing (and encouraging given his propensity to accumulate interceptions in bunches), reemergence suggests that there was a submergence that led to it, as Reed has not only been largely absent from the stat column of late, but his lack of tacking has been the topic of healthy debate for the last couple of weeks too.

All season (on the MobTown Sports Beat) we’ve touted the value of motivation, and while it seems logical that professional athletes, especially in the playoffs, should be sufficiently able to motivate themselves, a little something extra never hurt. All season we marveled at the Packers not only because of the precision with which they were performing, but also and more impressively because they were somehow finding ways to improve despite the fact that they were already the league’s most efficient unit. Not buying into your own hype is often easier said than done.

Hopefully as the Ravens prepare for the Patriots and a possible trip to Indianapolis as a result, both Ed Reed and Joe Flacco are going to bed at night burning over missed opportunities and scheming ways to make sure that they don’t get away again. Hopefully too (but far less likely) Tom Brady and the Patriots are tucking in at night wholly enamored with their 45-10 dismantling of the Broncos and simply expecting more of the same this week.